Automatic sprinkler-head



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GEORGE E. HIGGINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,097, dated January 3, 1899. Application filed February 14, 1898. Serial No. 670,209. (No model.)

and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinkler-Heads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sprinkler-heads as used in automatic fire-extinguisher systems; and its object is to provide a head which shall be simple in construction, with the parts of the strut reduced to a minimum, and which shall, moreover, be sensitive and positive in operation when necessity arises.

My invention also has for its object the improvement of the spreader or deflector and also the form of the yoke, so that the distribution of the water may not be interfered with by the sprinkler-head.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my sprinkler-head; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a sectional plan on line 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detail view of the strut; Fig. 5, a sectional elevation of the spreader or deflector, and Fig. 6 a detail view of a modified form of strut.

My device comprises a head 1, provided with suitable wrench-surfaces 2, so as to be screwed into or out of the distributing-pipes of the extinguisher system in the usual manner. The side standards 3 are preferably triangular in section (see Fig. 3) with the apex or knife-edge inward, so that the water will be interfered with as little as possible and will reach the greatest lateral area.

The apex t of the sprinkler-head is provided with a screw-threaded bore adapted to receive the usual set-screw 5, which causes and determines the tension exerted upon the strut. This strut in the form shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 comprises four pieces, which when assembled form a diamond. The two inner pieces or members 6 and 7 are similar in construction, the member 6 having the three portions or parts 6, 6 and 6 and the member 7 having the similar portions 7, 7 and 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 4:. The part 6 meets the part 7 and the part 7 meets the part 6, so as to form a diamond. The meet ing ends or surfaces of these pieces are beveled and cut on the same oblique plane.

This plane is the plane of the separation of the pieces. The thrust of the set-screw 5 is received by the apex of the piece or member 7, formed by the junction of parts 7 a and 7*, while the apex of the other member, 6, formed by the junction of parts 6 and 6 bears in a plate 8, which presses the cap 9 to its seat,

so as to close the passage through the base of the sprinkler-head.

Upon the outer faces of the members 6 an 7 are two angular straps 10 and 11, which correspond to the contour of such members. These straps preferably extend practically the entire length of the strut, though not necessarily so. They are soldered with the usual 10w fusible solder to the main members of the strut, so as to normally hold them assembled, but adapted to permit such members to separate along the oblique plane when the solder is fused.

I prefer to provide the end of each strap where it is opposed to the parts 6 and 7 re spectively, of the members 6 and 7 with any suitable number of transverse corrugations 12, adapted to be received by corresponding corrugations 13 in the said parts 6 and 7. The object of such construction is to assist in holding the parts of the strut together and relieving the solder as much as possibe, so as to avoid the creeping of the parts.

The spreader or deflector as commonly employed on sprinkler-heads is objectionable in that it prevents the water from being sprinkled upon a circular area directly above the deflector, and to avoid and overcome this objection I provide a deflector in which practically no space above the head will be unsprinkled when the head is open. The spreader or deflector let is of the usual general shape, but any other suitable shape than that shown in the drawings may be adopted, and it is provided with a serrated edge. Upon the top it has a circular groove 15, in whose outer walls is arranged a series of holes 16 and in the inner walls a concentric series of holes 17. By these means jets or streams of water will be directed in different directions, so as to reach practically the entire area or space above the sprinkler-head.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a modified form of construction in which the number of parts of the strut is reduced to a minimum, there being but two parts thereto. In this orm the straps instead of being separate pieces are made integral with the members 18 and 19-, which may be said to have thin projecting ends 20 and 21, respectively, overlapping the short legs of .its opposing member. These projecting ends are also preferably provided with corrugations, as shown in the drawings. The operation of this form of strut is substantially the same as that of the other form.

The head operates as follows: The straps having been soldered to the members and the members to each other on the line of separation the strut may be placed in position in the head or yoke and the necessary tension given thereto by the set-screw. In case of fire and the consequent fusing of the solder the members will separate in an oblique plane and will slide away from the straps. -When the strut is thus collapsed, the pressure of the airor Water in the distributing-pipes of the system will force the cap from the passage, whereupon the system will be opened. It will be obvious that the corrugations assist in holding the parts together so long as they are kept assembled by the solder and do not interfere in any manner with the rapidity of the action when the solder is fused. My strut has the advantages of the small number of parts and the extreme simplicity of their construction, and, moreover, it is obviously sensitive and reliable in operation. Some of the Water from the system will strike the spreader, and what is not thereby deflected will pass through the series of holes in the top of the cap and be directed in different directions, so as to effectually spray the entire space above the spreader. Inasmuch as the inner faces of the standards have knife-edges the space on the sides not reached directly will be quite inconsiderable, and much less in case a broad surface was presented to the Water.

The meeting edges or faces are formed on the same oblique plane and are soldered together, so that when the solder is fused the members slide upon and pass each other to allow the cap to open and move in a direction substantially at right angles to the general planes of the meeting or soldered surfaces. It is obvious that the angle of this oblique plane may be varied and that the sensitiveness and rapidity of movement are greatest when the oblique plane approaches the longitudinal plane of the sprinkler-head and grows less as the transverse plane of the head is approached. Any such oblique plane within these limits is thus included within my invention and claims.

While I have for convenience and distinct ness in the claims referred to the parts by reference-numbers, it will be understood that I do not limit myself strictly thereto, but contemplate all obvious and equivalent changes matter of form and construction and the 1 e.

Although I have described more or less precise forms and details of construction, I do not intend to be understood as limiting myself thereto, as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient and without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim-- 1. A sprinkler-head strut comprising two similar members forming a diamond when assembled and having their meeting edges or surfaces formed on the same plane, which is oblique with reference to the longitudinal plane of the sprinkler-head, each member having an extension projecting beyond one of its meeting edges, said members in separating moving in a direction substantially at right angles to said extensions.

2. A sprinkler-head strut comprising two members forming a diamond when assembled, each member being similar to the other, but one inverted upon the other to form the strut and having their meeting edges or surfaces formed on the same plane, which is oblique with reference to the longitudinal plane of the sprinkler-head, each member having an extension beyond one of its meeting edges, the extension of one member projecting in one direction and the extension on the other member projecting in the opposite direction and each extension being soldered to theouter side of its opposite member, said members in separating moving in a direction substantially at right angles to said extensions.

3. A sprinkler-head strut comprising two similar angular members one member having portions 6, 6 and 6 and the other member the portions 7, 7 and 7, one of such members adapted to be inverted over the other member to form a diamond-shaped strut, the outer ends of portions 6 and 6 and also 7 and 7' being formed inclined on the same oblique plane and the portions 6 and 6 of one member meeting the portions 7"and 7 respectively at their inclined ends and being soldered together at such ends, said portions 6 and 7 having extensions projecting beyond their meeting faces.

4. A sprinkler-head strut comprising two members which when assembled form a diamond-shaped strut, each member having two meeting edges, said members each having-a side extension projecting beyond one of said meeting edges, said members being soldered to each other at said meeting edges and also between said side extensions and the side of the opposing members and in separating moving in a direction substantially at right angles to said extensions.

5. A sprinkler-head strut comprising two angular members opposed to each other with their apexes forming the ends of the strut and substantially V-shaped straps soldered to the outer side faces of the members.

6. A sprinkler-head strut comprising two angular members arranged to form a strut of diamond shape, and substantially V-shaped straps fitting the side faces of the diamond and soldered thereto.

7. A sprinkler-head strut consisting of a member 6 comprising the three portions 6, 6 and 6, a member 7 comprising the three portions 7, 7 and 7 which members when assembled forming a diamond-shaped strut, and straps 10 and 11 soldered to the outer faces of the portions and 6 and of the portions 7 and 7 c of the members 6 and 7 respectively.

8. A sprinkler-head strut comprising two angular members which when assembled form a substantially diamond-shaped strut and substantially \l-shaped straps soldered to the side faces of the strut, the straps and members being provided with corresponding corrugations.

9. A sprinkler-head strut consisting of two members 6 and 7 which when assembled form a substantially diamond-shaped strut, the member 6 comprising the portions 6, 6 and 6 and the member 7 comprising the portions 7, 7 and 7 and substantially V-shaped straps soldered to the side faces of the strut holding into juxtaposition the portions 0 and 7 respectively to the portions 7 and 6 the portions 6 and 7 having corrugations on their other face and the straps having correspondin g corrugations receiving the first-named corrugations.

10. In a sprinkler-head, the combination, with the yoke and its strut, of a deflector having a groove therein and a series of holes passing through the side Walls of the groove and adapted to spray the water in different directions around the sprinkler-head.

11. In a sprinkler-head the combination with the yoke, the set-screw 5 and the cap or valve closing the water-passage, of a strut composed of two members 6 and 7, the member 6 having portions 6, 6 and 6 and the member 7 having similar portions 7, 7 and 7 the members when assembled by inversion of one over the other forming a substantially diamond-shaped strut, the portions 6 and 6 and 7 and 7 respectively each forming an apex bearing respectively against the cap and the set-screw and straps 10 and 11 soldered to the side faces of said members when assembled.

12. In a sprinkler-head, the combination, with the yoke, the set-screw 5 and the cap or valve closing the water-passage, of a strut composed of two members, which are similar but one inverted upon the other member, the meeting surfaces at the ends of each member being beveled, and straps 10 and 11 soldered to the side faces of the members, the members being provided with transverse corrugations l3 and the straps with corresponding corrugations 12 to receive the other corrugations.

GEORGE E. HIGGINS. Witnesses:

SAMUEL E. I-IIBBEN, ALLAN A. MURRAY. 

